If like me, you love making and gifting your handmade treasures to loved ones at Christmas. Have you considered, instead, to give the gift of handmaking this Christmas? That way your loved one can experience the joy of turning a pile of unassuming ingredients into something special... Like one of these gorgeous crochet dogs.

When it comes to choosing yarn for your project the size of yarn is an important factor in determining whether your fabric will be fine or bulky. It can be a little confusing when different parts of the world use different sizing methods. However, with some simple definitions up your sleeve you can demystify those numbers. This, in turn, will help you select yarn size and quantity of cones of yarn required for your next project.